Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tampico Juice.
Warm weather is finally here in NYC and my family and I are excited to enjoy it with a staycation. Planning a staycation provides our family opportunity to rediscover our local area while avoiding the time, hassle and expenses of traveling far away. We are lucky enough to live in one of the most diverse places in the world which is New York City! So, for us, vacationing in our own city is really easy. Every weekend is an opportunity to explore one of the 5 boroughs and introduce the kids to exciting unique places. This past weekend we headed to Governers Island and through my planning I came up with some tips that helped us have a stress-free staycation.
Here are some tips on how to plan an exciting staycation in your own hood.
1) Do your research by visiting your city’s visitor’s bureau website. The first thing I search for is the calendar to see if there are any upcoming events and sometimes the sites even have coupons to local attractions that you might not have even known about. Another thing I like to do is look to see if there will be any festivals, or free concerts. This will help you narrow down a date for your staycation.
2) Use public transportation if possible. You won’t worry about parking and gas fees. It is also a great way to explore when your attention isn’t on driving. Many cities like NYC have bike rental programs and I am certain the kids would love the idea. Also look into ferry rides like we did when we visited Governers Island.
3) Set some ground rules on technology so your family can genuinely
have family time. Remember these rules go for parents and kids.
- No phone (except for emergency use and taking pictures)
- No e-mail
- No computer
- No work
- No games
- No social media
- No worries
4) Have a picnic. We love eating outdoors, it’s more fun, and it can require less cleanup. Make it simple with some sandwiches and refreshing drinks like Tampico Blue Raspberry which provides 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin C. This blueberry and raspberry fruit punch can be enjoyed at picnics, by the pool on a hot summer’s day, and also on an Island like we did. Citrus Punch was my favorite flavor especially after all the activities we did.
5) Plan some activities but remember that less is more. We’re an active family so we always plan hikes and a frisbee game. If you’re not an active family you can plan according to your families likes. Also don’t over plan. Everyone needs some downtime so be careful not to plan every minute of your staycation. I’m a big believer in naps. If you can take some zzz’s on a blanket or even a hammock I say go for it.
Planning a staycation does not have to be super difficult as you can see. I hope these tips make your staycation planning simpler. My family and I really enjoyed or trip to Governers Island. We played, rested and made memories. Thank you, Tampico, for sponsoring this post!
